Sat | 05.29.2021 | 6:00 PM
CANDABA, Pampanga – Every time the rainy season approaches, many locals here brace for the worst. Being a catch basin of floodwater from nearby communities during the typhoon season, flooding has become a perennial problem in Candaba that some residents, particularly in Barangay San Agustin, have used bamboo stilts to elevate their wooden houses and avoid being inundated. Also, many of the residents have small bancas, which they use whenever they need to evacuate.
Such is the case of 38-year-old Edna Silvestre, whose family is regularly moved to safer ground during typhoons. Often, they are temporarily housed in the municipality’s trade center which serves as a makeshift evacuation center for Candaba’s locals. Silvestre’s constant fear during such times is the possibility that her small children be swept away by raging flood.
“Dito po sa amin kasi mataas ang baha. Minsan sumasakay kami ng bangka kapag umuulan at kapag may bagyo. Kapag malakas din po ang alon, ‘yun pong maliit na bangka ang ginagamit naming mag-anak kapag nag-e-evacuate na po,” she said.
In response to the plight of Candaba locals, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) approved the release of P50 million funding for the construction of a two-storey Multi-Purpose Evacuation Center (MPEC).
Designed to withstand wind velocity of up to 340 kilometers per hour, the MPEC building is equipped with comfort rooms, kitchen, and lactation rooms for mothers with young children
Aside from Candaba, the municipality of Limay, Bataan also received P50 million grant for a two-storey MPEC building. The groundbreaking ceremonies for both MPEC projects were respectively held on May 27 and 28, 2021.
Candaba Mayor Rene Maglanque extended his gratitude to PAGCOR for approving the P50 million grant that will be used to fund the construction of a two-storey evacuation center in the town’s Barangay Pasig. “Maraming salamat sa PAGCOR dahil naalala ninyo ang bayan ng Candaba dahil talagang kami ang unang tinatamaan ng pagbaha dito sa Pampanga,” he said.
Meanwhile, the municipality of Limay, Bataan is likewise not immune to natural calamities such as typhoons. Situated by the coast, strong winds and flooding are common to residents whenever disasters strike.
Mayor Nelson David expressed his gratitude to PAGCOR for the P50 million grant to construct the two-storey evacuation center in Limay’s Barangay Townsite. “Ang maipapangako lang namin ay hindi lamang namin ito mamahalin at aalagaan. Nandito ang tatak ng PAGCOR habang itong building na ito ay nakatayo. Isang karangalang pinagmamalaki namin ang tulong na ito,” he said.
Since the launch of the project last November 2020, PAGCOR has released over P663 million for the construction of MPECs in various parts of the country. A total of 27 Multi-Purpose Evacuation Centers have been funded by PAGCOR so far.